Perfect Posts | September 2018

What better way to spend a Monday afternoon than curled up with a cup of coffee (I don’t drink tea and I’m prepped and primed for consequent judgement) and some new pieces of recommended writing to dive into?

I’m kicking off this month with another selection of brilliant articles and blog posts that I’ve found recently in the third instalment of my Perfect Posts series.

If you’re new to my blog and this is your first time reading a Perfect Posts blog post, welcome! I pretty much just explained the entire concept so there’s not much more to say other than I hope you find each article as captivating as I did.

This month’s pieces are extremely varied in content and I’m really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them!

Obviously each piece obviously speaks for itself, so I’m going to stop blabbing and get straight to it!

FINALLY, SOMEONE SAID IT. The fashion industry’s decision to start including mental illness-related slogans and images across products has been angering me for years, so when I found Rhiannon’s article I was so relieved to see that not only had she explored this issue so eloquently and on so great a platform.

Seeing or experiencing illness makes any glamorization of it entirely ridiculous. Depression is not an effective way of ensnaring a man. Nor is it a love song to bop along with, a fashionable illness, or a fad for bloggers to wear for a few weeks, post about on Instagram, favorite and then disregard.

The 1986 movie “Betty Blue” turned men on to a concept of women with mental illness as impossibly chic, French and sexually insatiable. More recently the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why,” which has been commissioned for a third season, has explored the reasons a pretty high school teen takes her own life from the point of view of her classmate and colleague Clay, who is in love with her.

Clay “sure has a thing for complicated girls,” one character on the show says. But the conceit falls apart when you replace mental illness with something physical. “You sure have a thing for girls with respiratory problems” doesn’t work. Nor do I forecast Skinnydip achieving the same sales results with accessories that read “I have Lyme disease.”

This is a topic I’m seeing gain more prevalence in the blogging world, which I’m very pleased about. It can be so expensive to try to keep up with the content deemed ‘relevant right now’ in this unpredictable and fast-paced industry. Not only do we need to start thinking more about what we’re promoting and why we’re promoting it, but how the products promoted by fellow content creators are affecting our own shopping habits.

We only have to blink through one day’s scroll of Instagram to be inundated with Tummy Flattening Tea that only slims you down by making you shit yourself.

Or a face-mask that is so harmful for your skin that it effectively rips it off as you peel it off?

Or those toothpastes that have been proven to make your teeth MORE sensitive whilst not even offering a shade or two whiter?

What is the influencer’s thought process here?

Are they now so far removed from their audiences, that they don’t even care that the products they promote can be actively harmful, as long as they can make a quick pay check?

One of the most common things women have to deal with is cat-calling and street harassment. It’s something that all women will face at some point in their lives, often on a regular basis. It often tends to make women feel nervous and self-conscious, and it definitely gets worse during the Summer season. For me, the most important thing is to not let it affect the way you dress.

The absolutely stunning Jamie – who happens to be Editor in Chief of the gorgeous FRUITCAKE Magazine – has written an article that we all need to read. It’s clear, concise, informative and urgent, filled with simple, easy tips on how to be the ultimate ally. Please share it!

Smiling is such an effective tool when it comes to boosting someone’s mood and showing solidarity. As someone who lives in London, I know it’s not a classic thing to do. But, if you see someone and think they might be feeling vulnerable or stressed, throw them a smile and you’ll be sure to get one back.

This interview with the incredible Emily Weiss is absolutely fascinating both in terms of understanding her background and finding out where she’s at right now with her career. Her insights into an increasingly visceral industry and its strengths and weaknesses, combined with the understanding of what makes an exceptional beauty experience is extremely interesting. Whether you’re a new entrepreneur or you’ve been running an independent business for years, this one’s worth a read.

It’s important to me to always listen and never be too precious with my time. There’s no hierarchy when it comes to a good idea, whether it comes from an intern or an executive, so the same should be true when it comes to my attention.

I hope you had a wonderful August and that September is your greatest month yet!

Which posts have you discovered recently that have changed your perspective on something? Are there any articles that have been playing on your mind since you read them?